Week 23 - Midwest Golf Tour June 2025
From June 9 through June 15, I participated in the Midwest Golf Masters Tour with a group of eight players. Over the course of one week, we played seven rounds across some of the most highly regarded public courses in the United States. The route took us from Kohler to Hartford, with time in Nekoosa and other points in between. Each course presented distinct demands and aesthetics, and the week offered a rewarding mix of challenge, learning, and shared enjoyment.
Whistling Straits came next on June 11. I shot 105 gross and 83 net. The course was visually striking and technically demanding, with wind and dramatic views influencing shot decisions. Despite the score, I found ways to contribute meaningfully in team match play, particularly through awareness of net scoring and strategic hole management.
On June 12, we played Bullseye Golf Club. I posted 101 gross and 80 net. This round showed improvement in both tempo and course management. That evening, we played The Sandbox, a short course at Sand Valley. It provided a good environment to test different approaches without pressure and was a welcome mental shift.
June 13 included two full rounds. The morning was spent at Sedge Valley, where I shot 97 gross and 77 net. The afternoon round at Sand Valley resulted in a 99 gross and 78 net. While there was some physical fatigue, I made a quick recovery with better hydration and food choices. These rounds marked a turning point in my ball striking. I began to consistently apply swing cues such as grounding my heels, slowing the backswing, and completing the follow through. A particularly skilled caddie named Ish helped me find rhythm with my driver, and that guidance carried forward.
The best round of the trip came on June 14 at Mammoth Dunes. I shot 95 gross and 75 net. The course was generous off the tee and encouraged confidence. I played with control and fluidity, making multiple pars and two birdies. It felt like the accumulation of technical and mental progress made throughout the week.
Our final round was June 15 at Erin Hills. I posted a 103 gross and 82 net. The terrain was long and rolling with deep fescue, which made recovery shots especially challenging. Even so, I made memorable pars on holes 13 and 16 and finished with a sense of clarity and resolve.
By the end of the tour, I had five team match play wins and two losses. I was recognized as Best Team Player with a margin of ten strokes. More than the individual numbers, it reflected a pattern of steady contribution. I was not the lowest scorer, but quite possibly the most improved, and that carried its own sense of value.
Across the week, I experienced an unusual blend of competitive energy and quiet learning. The group dynamic was strong, the courses were exceptional, and the overall rhythm of the experience was one I will remember as among the most meaningful in more than three decades of playing.
These five highlights below, give me a fuller sense of what this week meant. Each moment stood on its own, but taken together, they revealed more than just flashes of good play. What emerged was a feeling that I was present, adaptable, and increasingly able to trust myself in unfamiliar or high-pressure situations.
At Whistling Straits, the par on that cliffside par three was quieter but meaningful in a different way. It required me to commit to the swing and let go of overthinking. The result may have been part luck, but the decision to swing with conviction mattered.
The birdies on the par threes at Sand Valley and Sedge Valley felt especially affirming. I was not simply hoping to survive those holes. I was executing. There was real control in those swings and it showed me that I could hold my own on tighter, more demanding shots. The “par three machine” nickname was offered in good humor, but I took quiet pride in how I had earned it.
The shot from the top of the sand hill demanded a different kind of focus. There was no clean line, just a need to improvise and stay calm. The nine iron that followed was not just well struck, it was intentional and composed. That sequence reminded me that a good hole can start in recovery rather than in control.
The putting contest and the team award closed the week with something steadier. These were not about isolated shots. They reflected consistency, attention, and connection across the days. Winning the team player recognition mattered to me. Not because I was the best player, but because I stayed engaged and contributed meaningfully throughout.
Looking back, I can see the outline of a game that is still growing but coming together in more reliable ways. Not every part was sharp at once, but different parts rose to meet different challenges. That rhythm, I think, is worth building on.
